Russian Market and Royal Palace (22nd March 2011)

So this morning I’m at my usual dilemma once more of not knowing my plans for the next few days. I mean I sort of do but Phnom Penh is nice and it’s always a bit weird leaving somewhere for the last time. So I have today to make up my mind, I mean I’ve sorted of decided how I’m leaving Phnomn Penh (mm sort of!) it’s just a case of when.

In the meantime I decide to visit the Russian Market, the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. First stop the Russian Market, and it was brilliant, way too many nice things to buy but considering I still have another two weeks to carry it all around for I decide not to go too mad and stop for a delicious lunch in the market before making my way back to the centre of town for the Palace.

Egg delivery at the market

Market life

You can never have too many eggs!

Delicious dinner

The Palace and the Pagoda is on the list of ‘must sees’ but to be honest I really was expecting more. To be able to go into the Palace area you have to be completely covered up so I took this to mean that we’d actually be going in the Palace......but no! We did go in the Pagoda though which was nice although I have to say I really do get more out of the local life like the markets and just wandering around towns than I think I ever get from visiting big places like this. On that note I then visited another local market before grabbing a ride on the back of a motorbike back into town. I’ve wanted to try the whole pillion passenger taxi ride since I arrived in Cambodia (seems here its more popular than Laos) but been a bit wary, until now......I even attempted side saddle which was great fun and now that’s me, if I need transport I’m opting for the bike.....as long as it’s not too far of course. ;-)

Royal Palace

I did finally manage to make a decision regarding my next plans though (which is always a bonus! ;-)) and opted to book a three day tour going by slow boat along the Mekong River to the border crossing in Vietnam then spending the next two days on the Mekong Delta.

So I‘m off bright and early tomorrow morning. I’m so going to look forward to a lay-in when I get home!

Killing Fields (21st March 2011)

The Buddhist Stupa at the Killing Fields

So this morning I’m visiting two areas where atrocities took place under the regime of Pol Pot in the 70’s. Since my last trip to Cambodia just over 5 years ago I’ve wanted to visit Phnom Penh and understand more about what went on at a time when I was just starting out in the world. And I can honestly say it was harrowing.

First though before any visiting I had to move rooms again, grab some breakfast and find my little tuk tuk man! On my way out to find a bite for brekkie literally loads of tuk tuk drivers asked me if I wanted a tour. I mean I did, but I had already decided on my driver.......I just needed to find him!

On the note of tuk tuk drivers though, it’s quite funny here cause there’s a saying that’s made it on to tourist t-shirts that says ‘Same Same’ on the front and ‘But Different’ on the back cause that’s all you here with regard to comparing different services, well since arriving in Phnom Penh all I’ve heard is ‘Tuk Tuk Lady, Tuk Tuk’ I reckon in a couple of years that’s going to make it on to the tourist t-shirt as well .....actually maybe that’s a business opportunity in the making! ;-)

Anyway I digress, so after a hundred and one people asking me if I wanted a tuk tuk I still hadn’t found the little guy from last night or even someone who actually wanted some business, then all of sudden there he came out of the blue, and between his English and my Cambodian we managed to strike a bargain and we were on our way.

That was until about 5 minutes into the journey when we had to stop to put water in the radiator, then another 10 minutes and we had to stop to put fuel in the bike (both of which were stored under my feet in water bottles) then after another 10 minutes or so we had to stop again to fix the machine! I was beginning to think this wasn’t such a great idea after all, but he was so friendly and happy how could I refuse? His answer (and I think only English he had) was ‘No problem Lady’. Mmmm I’ll be the judge of that! At least his English was better than my Cambodian.

After an hour we arrived at the Killing Fields, it’s only 14km from the city, it was definitely an adventure.

So this is where the majority of the people who were tortured at the old high school, S-21 Prison, were then taken to be executed. Evidence and eye witness reports say that young children and babies were held by their feet and their skulls smashed against a tree whereas older children and adults were forced to kneel down in front of a mass grave, were blindfolded and tied together while they were struck on the back of the head, they then had their throats cut just to be sure.

Today the area has been turned into a Buddhist memorial, in remembrance of the terror that took place there. There is a 17 storey Stupa that has been constructed in the grounds which houses on the ground floor all the clothes that have so far been discovered from the victims, the next 17 floors contain the skulls of victims and the upper floors contain all other bones that have been found. It is a really shocking sight. But what affects me more is that all around the mass grave areas every time the area floods more clothing and more bones come to the surface, the powers that be just haven’t been able to excavate the entire area yet and probably wont ever now. As I walked around the area I could see for myself clothing and bones in the ground. At first you think it’s just rubbish on the floor but it’s actually embedded into the earth and on closer inspection it’s clear what it is.

I was in two minds whether to take pictures while I was there but then everyone else was and then again I was in two minds about putting the pictures on the blog – but as they say ‘Lest We Forget’, it’s history and as such should be remembered and not forgotten.

Inside the Stupa

Mass graves at the Killing Fields

Next on today’s agenda was Tuol Sleng Museum, otherwise known as S-21 which was the High School in Phnomn Penh that was taken over by Pol Pots security forces and turned into a security prison. This is where the Khmer Rouge held, tortured and interrogated up to 20,000 people. When the Khmer Rouge took over they banned any kind of education, religion or academia so all schools and religious areas were turned over for other uses. The class rooms at the High School were turned into torture chambers and were equipped with various instruments to inflict pain, suffering and death.









S-21 Prison




























The cells at S-21

In some classrooms primitive makeshift cells were built which would house people in a space barely larger than they were. Each of the prisoners were chained in leg irons and then chained to rings cemented into the floor, in other classrooms 30 or more prisoners were all in leg irons and all restrained to each other not being able to move or sit up or speak to each other.

Each person that passed through the prison was photographed and documented and exact records were kept. When the Vietnamese liberated Phnom Penh in 1979 only 7 people were still alive all of whom had survived due to their ‘usefulness’ to the regime in areas such as painting and photography.

In the three years, eight months and twenty days of the Khmer Rouge rule it is estimated that around 2 million people died, approximately a third of the population at the time.

It was a very moving day and one in which my tuk tuk driver, I think, thought I spent too much time on. We were also supposed to go to the Russian Market as well but even I wasn’t really up for it after the days activities, so really wasn’t that worried when he decided he was hungry and tired and that we were heading back!

I think bed and an early night for me.

Phnom Pehn (20th March 2011)

This morning I’m heading off to Phnom Pehn, the capital of Cambodia, to visit the Killing Fields and Museums. The journey from Khompong Cham is three hours including leaving half hour late and a 20 min stop.

So here I am in Phnom Pehn thinking I’ve got this whole accommodation thing sorted, I’ll just walk down to the riverfront and look around some of the accommodation there before choosing where to stay, easy right?? Oh how wrong!!

It was a 15 min walk to the riverfront with both of my bags in around 38 degree of stupidly sweaty heat! By the time I even made it to the riverfront I was a bit of a mess, to say the very least! I couldn’t find the place I thought I was looking for and came across somewhere else that looked ok. I’m in the capital of Cambodia so I expect the prices to be more but to be fair I don’t think they’re too bad really. It seems you can get a room with bathroom and air-con for under £10 which is ok, although it also seems these price rooms don’t have windows! So I’ve gone from a room with a balcony overlooking the Mekong River to a little room with no window, still on the Mekong though! ;-) So the first place I looked at seemed ok but I thought I know I’ll have a look around (!!!!!) so the next place I looked at was up 3 flights of stairs with my bags and smaller than the previous one so on that basis I decided on the first one to only get back there to find the air-con didn’t work and neither did the lights!! They did manage to sell me a coke for $2.50 though (!!) I was so hot and tired by this point that I just paid it and went swiftly back to the other place. Don’t think I’ve quite mastered the art of looking around for a room!

This afternoon I just went for a wander around town to explore a little before finding the night market right near my hotel where some Ozy guy tried to scam me by pleading he was broke after being robbed!

That night as I was walking back to the hotel a very persistent tuk tuk driver was touting for my business to visit the killing fields tomorrow. He didn’t speak much English but was very friendly and very happy and very persistent. I’ll see if he’s around in the morning.

Back at my hotel I’m convinced the room has bedbugs! But what do I know huh? I’ve tried to research them on the internet and they kinda look the same! I don’t mind normal bugs at all, I mean they’re everywhere, even some of the hotels I get with work! But bed bugs are a totally different thing, I think the worse thing about them is that you can take them away with you! Anyway the end result was that after a couple of hours of not being sure I went and woke up the guys in reception and managed to get the room changed, this room though was double the price (with a window) and I’d have to move again in the morning, that’s ok though at least this room doesn’t have bugs!

Kompong Cham (19th March 2011)

Wat Nokor
















Kompong Cham is about half way between Kratie and Phnom Penh but still 4 hours away. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine when you’re at home how long all the different places take to get to but I’m glad I decided to break the journey cause not only was I living to regret the pizza it seems I’m also living to regret the noodles.......enough said huh?! ;-)

My travelling companion on the bus was a retired German guy who was very friendly and chatty but actually I think perhaps a little too friendly and there was certainly a bit of a personal space issue going on at times! :-0

Kompong Cham is similar to Kratie, very busy with not masses there to see, although it does seem to be a little bit cleaner!

I found a room for the night and after a very hot night last night with an ineffective fan I promised myself air-con tonight and found one in a very large hotel with a balcony and a view of the Mekong River for under £10. :-)

So now I’m in Cambodia and my Laos sim card isn’t working and with no other phone I wanted to see if it was true that it was illegal for foreigners to buy a sim card here. The hotel receptionist called over a tuk tuk driver who might be able to help but he said it is still illegal and that he would have to buy it for me with his ID card and that of course wasn’t ideal so in the end I decided to opt out of that particularly illegal goings on!

So for my time in Kompong Cham I had this plan to cycle to a nearby bamboo bridge and over to a small island in the middle of the Mekong but it’s so hot today and I was beginning to like the sound of a ride in a tuk tuk. So after negotiating the price with the driver I headed off for a bite to eat before we set out. While I was having a sandwich he called the bar to speak to me to say he couldn’t do it now as he had something to do at home!!!! Huh?? He said he would try to call a friend of his to see if he could take me but no joy there either!! Am I missing something here? I thought they wanted the business!

Then someone in the bar said there was a big rich tour group in and of course, that made total sense, they could get more money off of them than they could get off of me. Eventually the waitress where I had lunch called a couple of people and arranged a trip for me at 3pm.

Sights in the local area include Man and Woman mountains, an ancient wat and a local village so we did all of the above and my driver actually was a really good guide and very informative on life in Cambodia our final stop was the bamboo bridge which is made new from scratch every year in the dry season when the river is relatively low and bridges the river from the mainland to the small island of Koh Paen. The area is really really busy and even my tuk tuk driver isn’t really sure what’s going on, it’s some kind of party.

Man mountain - a very hot climb!

This evening I headed back to one of the two bars in town for dinner. So far it seems that you can’t really eat street food here, although to date it does tend to taste a lot better.

A local village and some of the villagers













The bamboo bridge in Kompong Cham

The border crossing into Cambodia (18th March 2011)

We came across this car on a toilet stop which looked like the owners were moving house - complete with two motorbikes tied to the back as well as two poor little live ducks! (look closely!)

My boat to the mainland for the bus to Cambodia was at 9am which although wasn’t early I knew it was a long bus ride so wanted to make sure I had breakfast before I went and after a few beers the night before it was a must really.

Lauren came out to wave me off which was really nice, you know it’s going to be strange them going one way and me going the other when we’ve just spent the last week together. Depending on both our schedules though we may bump into each other again in Vietnam – oh the greatness of Facebook!

So this morning I’m off to Cambodia on a VIP bus, with toilet apparently (!) and a whole load of other westerners. The border from Si Pa Don is literally 30 mins away by bus and two days ago when we went out on the boat trip to see the dolphins the mountains of Cambodia was right there on the other side of the river, I wonder if there’s another way to cross the border by boat or something for a good price!

Border crossings are renowned for their ingenuity in managing to make westerners part with as much of their money as they can and this border was no exception.

We pulled up at the border where it looks like they’re building a brand new massive building right in the middle of the road which I can only assume is some kind of drive through border crossing. Today though the building is months away from completion and instead the border buildings are barely shacks on the side of the road with a couple of hundred meters of no-mans land in-between the two countries and this is how it all went.........

First we had to be stamped out of Laos and pay $1, then walk through no-mans land and fill out a quarantine form and have our temperature taken and pay $1, then another shack for the visa for $23 and then another shack to be stamped into Cambodia ................. oh and pay$1. It was laughable everyone wanted their share and there really wasn’t any shame in it at all on their behalf, some of the westerners on the bus were really angry about all the $1 charges, demanding a receipt and saying it was wrong and how they weren’t allowed to ask for extra money but that really wasn’t going to get them anywhere. It may not be right or correct but there’s not a single thing anyone can do about it, the option is pay up or stay in Laos!!

After the border crossing there was another 4 hours to Kratie where I was headed. I got there around 3.30pm and after finding a place to stay on the river front headed into the town to have a look around and I can honestly say this place is nasty! The rubbish is about 4 inches deep throughout the entire market area and piles of more rubbish were just in the middle of the road that people were walking and driving around and it was much busier than Laos! It was a stark contrast to where I had just been which was lovely and clean and very very quiet. So, on that note I decided to head out as soon as possible but first I needed to decide where.

Last night over dinner the three of us were talking about the food in SE Asia saying that although generally it was very good we were all craving a pizza. So the first place I came across in Kratie served pizza so that was it a done deal and really I should have known better shouldn’t I? It took a good 45 mins to arrive and when it did it was potentially the worst pizza I think I’ve ever had and even as I was eating it I had this nasty feeling it was going to come back to haunt me later! L

The worst thing about the experience was that I actually went back there a few hours later for a beer and some noodles (as there was no-where else really) and it was equally as bad, I’m kinda hoping the beer might have neutralised anything bad!

Tomorrow Kompong Cham.